Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2016 to Question 43519, what assessment he has made of the potential financial effect of proposed changes to the administration of attendance allowance on local authorities with the highest proportions of attendance allowance cases in payment.

The consultation “Self-sufficient local government: 100% business rates retention” published by the Department for Communities and Local Government sought views on a range of options for devolving new responsibilities to local government including more responsibility for caring for older people. This was not a consultation on the devolution of Attendance Allowance and the Government would consult further, in good time, if any changes were to be proposed in relation to Attendance Allowance.

The feedback from that consultation which closed on 26 September is currently being analysed and a response will be published in due course.